Between love and dread
by anpw
Summary: Anastasia finds a note in her basement that changes her future and her view on life. she finds herself in ancient Egypt and totally in love with the god Anubis, but how does he feel about her? my first story, so be nice and don't bite my head off! lol
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

As a typical teenager I never liked reality.

Every morning I used to get up and think about the same thing, the same place, somewhere but not here. It used to hurt me so my much when my step-father John told me that I should stop daydreaming and think about now and my future. "Daydreaming won't get you a job in the future when you finish school."- He said to me once after giving out to me when I didn't pay attention to something on the radio about the current Leaving Cert students. But what if daydreaming can get me a job in the future? What if it'll give me an idea, a some kind of guideline of what I'd like to do when I finish school. All my friends had something to put down on their CAO forms but I had nothing. Nothing at all. I just couldn't see myself as a teacher or as a musician or as something that my parents would want to see me as. I've thought about it million times but never came up with anything interesting that I'd want to do for the rest of my life.

At one stage I really wanted to become a TV star. My mom said it'll be impossible so I started wishing of becoming an archaeologist instead. This time both of my parents stepped in against this idea. According to John, archaeologists don't get any money for spending their time playing in dirt. Being an artist was a bad idea too. They said that artist become famous only after their death. Yes, that was the understanding of art my parents had. But what they didn't have was the understanding of my world. They never thought about what I wanted to do. Of course I don't blame then, they only wanted the best for their child but I think what parents think is the best thing for their child, might not be the best thing at all.

So here I am, looking for something I want to do with my life.

*Beep- beep! Beep- beep!*

I looked at my phone which was lying beside me. "Oh not Victoria again." I thought out loud. She texted me again asking if I wanted to go out tonight with her and her boyfriend, Frank. Victoria and I are not exactly what you might call friends. We hang out together and talk but I just don't feel like trusting her with my thoughts and secrets. Whenever we go out somewhere we always ended up fighting. Thankfully now she has a new boyfriend so I don't have to accompany her everywhere she goes. I'm too sick to put up with another night out around her. So I texted her a quick "no" and continued with my pain-in-the-eye Home Economics.

In about 20 minutes of reading I fell asleep. My dream was about something out of this world. In this dream I saw a door in my basement and a little note hidden behind a very old painting that hung on the wall. I took the note and opened it but could not understand what it said, as it was on a different language that I didn't know. There were a few sketches of our house in the note but what caught my eye was a very detailed sketch of the basement. It looked a bit different to what the basement looks like now, but I recognised it straight away. And then I noticed there was part of the note that was torn off. As I looked at it closer, I realised the piece that's missing is the most important part in this note. Curiosity took the best of me and I started looked for the missing piece. I looked through old boxes filled with dusty toys and then looked into mom's ancient chest with newspapers and magazines but found nothing. It was then my dream got blurry and completely meaningless, the only thing I remembered from this mess was my granddad's face. It was like he knew something that must have been important to me. He just stared into my eyes and suddenly smiled a wide grin.

"Happy birthday" he whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I woke up. Dazed my eyes wondered around my room. Mom must have came in the room while I was sound asleep because all my books were tidied up in a neat bunch on the desk. Then I realised I was in my bed and it was bright outside. I checked my phone and it said it was 10 a.m. so I must have slept through the whole night. It didn't come to me as a surprise; after all I practically didn't sleep the whole night on the 25th because I was too busy watching films on television because all the best movies were always on Christmas day. Which reminded me, today must be the 27th of December. My 18th birthday.

I remember wishing to turn 18 but now it doesn't seem so exciting to me anymore. I'm still me, only one year older. Then I groaned because I remembered that my parents will be giving me presents and singing "Happy birthday to you" as soon as they spot me walking down the stairs. "Maybe I should stay in my room all day long?" I thought. It sounded like a great plan as I could have pretended to feel sick. But of course that wouldn't work with my mom, she knows I hate getting too much attention and would probably prefer to hide somewhere in the basement instead of celebrating my birthday. Hmmm, why did I have that strange dream about the basement? And then my granddad staring into my eyes. Granddad died nearly a year ago and I didn't even go to his funeral because he lived too far away, in a different country in fact, and we wouldn't have made it in time. I still feel very guilty for not going to his funeral after all, he was my granddad and I was his favourite little girl.

My sad thought ended when I heard a soft knock in the door. "Come in." I said. She came in with a tender smile on her face and sat down on the bed next me. "You know it's rude to keep so many people waiting for you." She murmured putting my hair behind my ear "I know you don't like attention, but please try to be nice this year and put up with us. It's not every year my daughter turns 18 and becomes an adult." She said smiling at me.

"Mom, I know. But you perfectly comprehend I hate being in the spotlight even once a year!" I mumbled trying to hide the tears building up in my eyes. She hugged me then, comforting the little child in me again. "I know, sweetie. But it won't be a big thing, I promise. We'll only have a small dinner and then you can do whatever you want for the rest of the day. If you want, you can stay in your room and watch some DVDs while I make you some jello with whipped cream." She said. I was amazed by how well my mom knew me. She knew exactly the right words to say to make me feel all happy again. "Alright" was all I could manage to say without getting emotional again.

When she left I tried to talk myself out of running downstairs and hiding in the basement. I even tried to lie to myself be saying that my family won't remember it's my birthday today, but unfortunately it didn't work. I strolled to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. Then quickly I brushed my hair so that I'd look half descent when I come downstairs to greet my family and possibly half of our neighbourhood! The thought of half of our neighbourhood being in my living room, waiting to see me made my stomach turn itself inside out. As quietly as I possibly could, I walk down the steps on my tippy toes but even that didn't save me, about half way through I stepped on one of the cat's toys that squeaked and made me jump. I closed my eyes trying to catch a breath and when I heard my step-dad's loud footsteps I wished I could just disappear.

"Look who's hear! She finally made it out of bed! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" he literally shouted. Then I heard more footsteps rushing in my direction and I saw the rest of my family (including our cat) making their way to greet me. I was horrified to see my neighbour with her son there too! They all cheered then and sang the "Happy Birthday" song while I tried my best to smile at everyone. It wasn't as bad as I expected but it was still pretty bad. But the worst thing was when my neighbour's son Aaron came up to me and gave me a hug. I was tomato red wishing the earth would open and swallow me up. The reason for that was simple, I used to have a big crush on Aaron for ages! And the humiliating thing was that he perfectly knew how I felt about him so I wasn't surprised to see him smiling at me now.

I can't say I didn't like the presents I got because they were brilliant! I was surely going to use them. My favourite and probably the most expensive present was a laptop. Although I already had a computer, I needed a laptop for colledge. "Mom, dad thank you so much for the present." I said when all our guests left. "It's great and just like I wanted it to be." I gave step-dad a hug then kissed mom and gave her a hug too. "You know what?" I asked while mom looked at me with curious eyes, "I love ye!" I said hugging mom even tighter. John came from the back and hugged the two of us. So we stood there in the middle of our kitchen, a happy family what more can I say? "We love you too, darling" mom whispered in my ear while John kissed the top of my head. "And happy birthday, daughter." He said after a short pause.

When I finished clearing the place from all the wrapping paper and empty envelopes I ran up the steps and into my room to set up me new laptop and have a proper look at it. It looked so shiny that I was afraid to even touch it because that could leave a mark on it. I installed some start up programs and even changed the theme. Yep, I realised I really liked my present. Then my phone rang making me jump. I begged whoever is up there for it to be anybody but Victoria, and I was stunned when my silent prayer was listened to. It was my grandma who rang me. My heart hammered with joy as I answered the phone. "Hi, grandma! I'm so happy you called!" I said with a lump stuck in my throat. I really missed grandma even though I talked to her nearly every day.

"Hello my daughter," she said in her sweet melodic voice "it's so nice to hear your voice. I said I'd give you a quick call to say happy birthday. You're an adult now. How did you get so old so fast?" she asked and laughed. I laughed too "I don't know grandma, you must be thinking that because you're so young!" I said knowing she will start protesting again. But this time she was still laughing so I just listened to the music of her beautiful laugh and imagined her right here with me, in the same room. The thought made my throat tight again, but thankfully grandma stopped laughing and asked me "So how was your day? Did you like your presents?" This put me back on earth and I scanned my head to remember what I got for my birthday and what I liked. "Oh, gran I got a new laptop from mom and Johnny and I love it! And guess what? Aaron came for my birthday and gave this amazing perfume! I'd say he still thinks I have a crush on him!" I went on. I knew I could trust my gran with anything so she perfectly knew everything about my love-life, or the lack of it should I say.

She listened to my endless chatter and commented in some parts and I couldn't feel any happier right at this moment. It was like she was really interested in my boring teenage life! Then she talked about her little garden and the different flowers that she was planning to plant early this spring. I listened and remembered myself when I was very young, I used to run around her garden like a headless chicken with her dog running after me, playfully, not intending to really attack me. then I used to pick some of gran's gorgeous flowers and bring them home, where I put them in water and leave them standing on the window. "Did you get my letter yet?" she asked. I thought for a minute but couldn't think if mom had given me any letters from grandma. "Hmmm, I really don't think so. Mom gave me different envelopes with cards in them but none of them were from you." I said still thinking. She paused for a minute and then said "Well I guess it's ok for now anyway. There was just something you granddad wanted you to have on your 18th," I froze. "He wrote you a little note before he died, so I sent it to you with the last letter. I really hope you'd get it soon enough." She finished in a rush. I wondered what it could mean but decided not to ask her instead I just said "Alright, I hope I will get it soon. I probably will though because I believe the post staff will be returning from their break Tuesday, so you don't have to worry about it that much."

She paused again, and I wondered if she was thinking what else to say and how to say it. "Whenever you get it, don't show it to your mom," she warned "it's something myself and your granddad wanted only you to have." She said. I couldn't hide my curiosity any more so I asked her "Grandma, what is it? What is it that you wanted me to have?" She was silent them and I was sorry I asked her, I didn't want her to feel so uncomfortable. I was going to say something like "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to", but she stopped me by saying "It's nothing too important, honey. You'll find out soon enough what it is. And I know you'll like it!" she said her voice getting normal again. "I love, my darling and I hope you'll have a nice evening now with you family and friends. I must let you go now, I don't want you to spend too much time talking to an old woman!" she said. I had to protest this time "Grandma, how many times do I have to tell you this? You're not old! You'll never get old!" I said rolling my eyes at her. Then I heard my favourite sound again, the sound of her laugh "I'll stay young as long as I hear your lovely voice, my daughter." She said making me smile again. "I love you, grandma." I said.

"I love you too, honey." She said and hung up. I stood near the window, staring into something far away. I was still thinking about that dream I had and the letter that I'm supposed to get when my phone rang again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"No Victoria, I don't want to have a party for my birthday!" I said about tenth time but it had no result on my so called friend. "You know how it ended last year when you tried to drag me out 'to have fun'!" I reminded her. She giggled in her girly manner and then said "Yes, but this year it'll be different, I promise! I will be on my best behaviour and won't make you dance again, trust me, I remember that you've two left feet!" she giggled again and continued to beg me to go out, "Please, I've a surprise for you and guess what? You'll love it! I invited a couple of people you know and someone special..." _Oh no, please don't let it be Johnson_, I thought. "It's Johnson!!" She finished. I took a deep breath to calm myself down, after all it was too late to give out to Victoria so I simply said "Well then, I guess I won't be going out tonight at all!"

"Oh please! You should have seen his face when I told him that he's invited to your birthday party! And guess what, he got you this cutest present ever! It's a flower necklace and a bunch of roses! I swear you shouldn't ignore him like that, the guy is like totally in love with you. And it's so obvious that he's still hurt after that time you told him you didn't like him... I think you should try and get together, because I'm sick of looking at you being single at the age of 18!" Said Victoria with a little sneer at the end. I really hated when she talked about the fact that I was still single. It was none of her god damn business that I haven't found a guy I could fall for! Johnson was pretty sweet and totally hot, but he wasn't meant for me. There was something about him that really freaked the hell out of me. I mean like who would like to propose on the first date? Ok, yes he didn't actually propose to me after the cinema, but he hinted. Talking about weird guys like!

"Look, Victoria... I don't want to burst your little bubble but I think you've gone too far." I said trying to stay calm "I'm not going to give Johnson another chance! And I don't give a damn if he's in love with me, or that he's still hurt after I told him that I don't feel the same way about him! Now if you don't mind, tell him I don't want to see him and he can keep his stupid present!" _Whoa, that was good. I feel way better now after saying that_, I thought. It was like Victoria forgot how to speak. My emotional response came as a shock to her, but I couldn't care less.

"Wow." She simply said. "I didn't know you hated Johnson that much. But I'm cool with that. So are you going out tonight?" I just rolled my eyes at her. Victoria could never be changed! She was one of those party animals, I guess. "Fine. I'll see you out at around 10. I'll give you a text or whatever." I said. I knew I had no chances to go against Victoria so I simply gave in and agreed to go. "Great!" she exclaimed, "I'll see you! Love you loads!" Finally my phone went silent again and I was left with nothing else to do but to get ready and head to town.


End file.
